Laundry drying machine



Dec. 23,` 1958 P. E. GELDHOF LAUNDRY DRYING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 15, 1953 Dec. 23, 1958 P. E. GELDi-IOF 2,865,111

LAUNDRY DRYING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15. 1953 5 SheetS-Sheet 2 'QLZ 19 38,56 0 ,Z7

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Dec. 23, 1958 P. E. GELDHOF 2,865,111

- LAUNDRY DRYING MACHINE v Filed Nov'. 13, i953 s sheets-sheet s UnitedStates Patent O LAUNDRY DRYING MACHINE Peter Eduard Geldhof, BentonHarbor, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Whirlpool Corporation,a corporation of Delaware Application November 13, 1953, Serial No.391,872 6 Claims. (Cl. 3495) This invention relates to improvements inlaundry machines and more particularly relates to an improved dryingmachine.

The present invention is directed to a laundry machine operating onprinciples similar to those shown and described in the applications ofWallace N. Nicholes, Serial Nos. 395,535 and 395,898 filed December 1,1953 and December 3, 1953, respectively, and is an improvement on themachines of these applications.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedlaundry machine in which a water absorbent agent transfers water fromthe clothes having a simple and efficient means for forcing water fromthe clothes to the water absorbent agent.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simplied form of clothesdrying machine, greatly facilitating the drying operation by removingwater from the clothes by a transfer agent contacting the clothestumbling drum and by transferring the water from the clothes to thetransfer agent by suction.

A still further object of my invention is to greatly increase theefficiency of clothes drying by transferring the water from the clothesby suction and carrying the water away from the clothes by an absorbenttransfer agent and then removing the water from the transfer agent.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a simplified formof clothes drying machine in which the clothes are contained' in arotating tumbling drum and in which the drying time is reduced byabsorbing water from the clothes by a traveling transfer agent of awater absorbing material and by transferring water to the waterabsorbing material by a suction shoe in` communication with the clothesthrough the transfer agent.

Another and more detailed object of my invention is to provide a moreefficient form of clothes drying machine than formerly, in which theclothes are dried by tumbling in tumbling drum and are contained in thedrum by a web or belt of water absorbent material extending around thedrum and forming a drive means therefor, and in which water istransferred from the clothes to the absorbent belt by a suction shoeengageable with the periphery thereof. v

These and other objects of my invention will appear from time to time asthe following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a washing and drying machineconstruction in accordance with my invention, looking toward the rearend thereof and showingcertain parts broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along linesII-II of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the drum andsuction shoe at the point of contact of the suction shoe with the waterabsorbent belt;

Figure 4 is a fragmentarysectional View taken substantially along linelV-IV of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional View somewhat similar to Figure 4, but showing amodified form of suction shoe for transferring water from the clothes tothe absorbent belt; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken through the clothes dryingdrum and showing another modification of my invention.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, I haveshown a combined washing and drying machine comprising a cabinet 10having a clothes containing tumbler drum 11 journaled therein forrotation about a horizontal axis. I have also shown a tub 12 in thebottom of the cabinet 10 and extending upwardly along the sides andperiphery of the tumbling drum 11, for holding a washing solution insaid tumbling drum for washing clothes therein.

The bottom of the tub 12 is shown as sloping toward a drain 13 connectedwith a pump 14 by a conduit 15. The pump 14, like that shown in theaforementioned Wallace H. Nichols application, Serial No. 395,535,serves to withdraw water from the tub 12 at the end of the washingoperation prior to the extracting or drying operation.

The pump 14' is shown as being mounted on a bulkhead or partition 16extending along the cabinet 10 intermediate the walls thereof. Thebulkhead 16 divides said cabinet into a washing and drying compartment17 and an air circulating compartment 19, separated therefrom by saidbulkhead. The pump 14 in the washing and drying compartment 17, is shownas having a shaft 2l] extending through the bulkhead 16 into the aircirculating compartment 19 and as being journaled intermediate its endsn a wall 21 of an air duct 22. The air duct 22 serves as an intake airduct and has a blower 23 on the shaft 20, in association with an intakeconduit 24 of said duct, for drawing air into said duct and deliveringit to the washing and drying compartment 17, as will hereinafter be morefully described as this specification proceeds.

The pump 14 is driven from a belt 26 trained around a pulley 27 on theshaft 20 in the space between the wall 21 and the bulkhead 16. The belt26 is trained from a motor pulley 28 on a shaft 29 of a motor 30. Themotor 31D also drives a suction fan or blower 31 through a motor pulley32 on the motor shaft 29 and a belt drive 33. The blower 31 is incommunication with an exhaust opening 34 in the bulkhead 16 and servesto withdraw air from the washing and drying compartment for exhaust tothe atmosphere through an exhaust duct 35 leading through the rear wallof the cabinet. (Not shown).

The motor 30 is shown as being mounted on a platform 36 in the aircirculating compartment 19 and iS shown as extending inwardly from anend Wall of the cabinet 10 in vertically spaced relation with respect tothe bottom of the cabinet.

The duct 22 is shown in Figure 1 as extendingtransversely along thecabinet 10 from the blower 23 and upwardly along the bulkhead 16. Theduct 22 opens into 3 the clothes drying compartment through an intakeopening 37 in the bulkhead 16.

The air duct 22 is also shown as having a heating element 28 therein,shown as being an electric heating element of a well known form. It is,of course, obvious that the heating element need not be electric, andthat a gas burner (not shown) may communicate with the duct 22 forheating the clothes by gas, if desired.

The clothes tumbling drum 11 is shown as having a rear wall 38, whichmay be perforate and which confronts the bulkhead 16 and is rotatablyjournaled thereon on a transverse stub shaft 39, journaled in saidbulkhead. The drum 11 is also shown as having a forward end wall 41having a clothes receiving opening therein, defined by a forwardlyprojecting flange 42, confronting and lapping an inwardly stepped ange43 defining a clothes receiving opening through the front wall of thecabinet 10. The clothes receiving opening in the front wall of thecabinet may be closed by the usual door (not shown) which may be sealedthereto.

The front and rear walls 41 and 38 of the dryer drum 11 are each shownas having inwardly opening annular angles 47 and 49, respectively,extending around the periphery thereof. A plurality of circumferentiallyspaced radially extending tumbling bars 50--50 are shown as connectingthe front and rear Walls 41 and 38 of the drum 11 together, for tumblingthe clothes within the drum 11.

The forward end portion of the drum 11 is shown as being supported onspaced rollers 51-51 mounted on the outside of the tub l2, and havingrotatable supporting engagement with the ange 42.

The drum 11 is also shown as being open at its periphery between the endwalls 38 and 41 and as having a water absorbent agent in the form of aweb or belt 53 of absorbent material extending therearound and havingdirect contact with the clothes in the drum 11, and retaining theclothes therein. The belt 53 may be of any well known form of waterabsorbent material, and as herein shown, forms a means for driving thetumbling drum 11, as well as transferring water from the clothes at theend of the washing operation. One suitable form of belt, is a belt ofcopper screening as indicated by reference character 54 in Figures 3 and4, and covered by a water absorbent material 55, such as Terry cloth ora water absorbent nylon or any other suitable water absorbent material.

It should further be understood that the water absorbent material neednot form a belt for driving the drum, but may encircle the periphery ofthe drum and that the drum may be driven in a conventional manner. I Inthe present embodiment of my invention, the belt 53 1s shown asextending around all but a small part of the periphery of the drum 11and as having engagement with and as being trained around the horizontallegs of the angles 47 and 49. The belt 53 passes from the top of thedrum 11 under an idler wrapping roll 56, rotatably journaled at its endsin parallel spaced bearing support plates 57-57. The plates 57-57 are inturn supported on spaced vertical legs 59, 59 extending upwardly fromthe base of the cabinet 10. From the idler roll 56, the belt 53 passesover and around a power driven wringer roll 60 rotatably journaled atits ends in the plates 57, 57. A cooperating reacting wringer roll 61,which is also rotatably journaled between the plates 57, 57, is shown aspressing the belt against the wringer roll 60, to wring water from thebelt. The reaction wringer roll 61 may be mounted in the plates 57, 57for adjustable movement toward and from the wringer roll 60 in any wellknown manner and not herein shown or described, since it forms no partof my present invention.

From the wringer rolls 60 and 61, the belt then passes toward the drum11 over an idler wrapping roll 63, increasing the wrap of the beltaround the drum 11, into engagement with the horizontal legs of theangles 47 and 4 49. The idler rolls 56 and 63, thus wrap the belt 53around the drum 11, so that the belt extends around all but a small partof the periphery of the drum and confines the clothes within the drumduring the tumbling operation, both when washing and drying.

The wringer roll 60 is shown as being driven from a motor 65 mounted onthe platform 32. As herein shown, the drive from the motor 65 to thewringer roll 60 consists in a V-belt drive, indicated generally byreference character 66. A trough 67 is provided beneath the wringerrolls 60 and 61, to collect the water squeezed from the belt 53. Aexible conduit 68 is shown as leading from the trough 67 downwardly tothe tub 12.

Referring now, in particular, to the means for facilitating the transferof water from the clothes to the absorbent belt 53, a suction shoe 70 isshown as extending transversely beneath the drum and belt 53 for drawingwater from the clothes and transferring it to said belt (see Figures 1,3 and 4). The suction shoe 70 is shown as being a rectangular box closedat its ends and sides and having inwardly turned flanges 71, 71extending entirely across the drum at the top thereof. The flanges 71,71 form mountings for Supports 73, 73 for upwardly extending flexiblestrips or squeegees 75, 75. As herein shown, the brackets 73, 73 haveslots 76 therein through which extend machine screws 77 threaded in theflanges 71 to afford a means for retaining the brackets and squeegees tothe suction box and adjusting the spacing thereof to vary the width ofthe suction orifice and the degree of suction on the clothes in thetumbling drum 11. The opposite ends of the suction orifice formed of thellexible strips 75, are closed by end plates 78, 78 recessed to conformto the periphery of the drum 11 and extending upwardly to the drum.

It should be understood that the flexible strips 75, 75 and end plates78, 78 serve primarily to confine the area of suction on the bottom ofthe drum 11, and that the purpose of said strips is not to scrape waterfrom the bottom surface of the belt 53.

The suction shoe 70 is shown as having an outlet 79, to which isconnected a conduit 80 connected with the intake of a suction pump 81.The suction pump 81 is shown as being driven from a motor 83, mounted onthe base of the cabinet 10 and may be of any well known form.

At the termination of the washing cycle, which may be cyclicallycontrolled by a cyclic control commonly used in automatic washingmachines, the motor may be energized to drive the pump 14 and drainwater from the tub 12, the tumbling drum 11 being continuously rotatedby the absorbent belt 53 during this draining operation. When the levelof the water in the tub 12 is beneath the top of the suction box 70, themotor 83 may then be energized. This will first draw the water from saidshoe and then create a reduction in pressure or vacuum in the suctionshoe 70 and withdraw water from the clothes in the drum 11, transferringit to the belt 53, which in turn may carry the water to the wringerrolls 60 and 61, where it may be wrung from the belt and drained throughthe trough 67 and conduit 68 back to the tank 12. At the same time, themotor 30 may be energized to drive the suction blowers 23 and 31 toeffect the circulation of air through the washing and drying compartment17. The heater 22 may also be energized, either as the motor 30 isinitially energized to drive the suction blowers 23 and 31, or at thetermination of a damp drying period, where water is first removed fromthe clothes and the clothes are then dried by the circulation of heatedair therethrough as they are tumbling.

It may be seen from the foregoing that the suction shoe 70 positivelytransfers the water from the clothes in the dryer drum 11 onto thecontinuous water absorbent belt 53, and thus increases the absorptionqualities of said belt and the amount of water carried away by said beltper unit of time, greatly reducing the amount of water to be evaporatedand shortening the drying operation.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figure 5, a suction shoe 85is shown as extending transversely beneath the drum 11 and belt 53, fortransferring water from the clothes to said belt. In this f orm ofmy`invention the suction shoe 85 is shown as having a fixed orifice 86confronting the belt 53 and extending thereacross. The orifice 86 isconsiderably narrower than the orifice shown in Figure 4. Suction istherefore exerted in a more concentrated area across the belt 53,causing the belt 53 to be sucked within the orifice 86 as it passestherealong.

In Figure 6, I have shown my invention as applied to a laundry machinelike that shown in the Nichols application Serial No. 395,895 previouslymentioned.

In this form of my invention, the clothes tumbling drum 11 has aperforate cylindrical wall 87 which is contacted by an absorbent member88, which may be an absorbent cloth, such as, Terry cloth an absorbentnylon or the like. The clothes tumbling drum 11 lis journaled forrotation about a horizontal axis and may be rotatably driven fo-rtumbling the clothes during the drying operation, as in theaforementioned Nichols application Serial No. 395,895. The drum 11 mayalso have heated air circulated through it through suitable air ducts,as in said last mentioned Nichols application. The support and drive forthe drum and the air circulating means are clearly shown and describedin the Nichols application just mentioned and are no part of my presentinvention, so need not herein be shown or described further. Theabsorbent member 88 is shown as being contacted by an absorbent face S9of a transfer roller 90. The absorbent face 89 may be a Terry cloth ornylon, like the face 88 encircling the wall 87 of the drier drum.

The roller 90 is shown as having a perforate cylindrical wall 91 onwhich the absorbent face is mounted and as containing a suction shoe 93within the cylindrical wall 91.

The suction shoe 93 may have the roller 90 journaled thereon at itsends, and may be supported in the tub for the tumbling drum (notshown).. The shoe 93 also may be connected to a source of suction,.suchas a suction pump (not shown), for creating a suction therein, in anysuitable manner.

The suction shoe 93 is shown as having a nozzle 94 extending along theinside of the wall 91 of the roller 90 for substantially the lengththereof. The nozzle 94 is shown as having flexible strips 95, 95recessed in the end walls thereof and having wiping engagement with theinside of wall 91 to confine the suction to a limited area extendingalong the roller 90 and across absorbent face 88 of the clothes tumblingdrum 11.

The roller 90 is shown as being abutted by a wringer roll 96 which maybe power driven by a suitable motor (not shown) for wringing water fromthe absorbent face 89 of the roller 90 and for driving said roller atthe peripheral speed of the clothes tumbling drum 11.

Thus, during the drying of clothes in the clothes tumbling drum 11suction in the suction box 93 `will transfer water from the clothes inthe tumbling drum onto the absorbent face 88. Water will then betransferred from said absorbent face by contact and suction onto theabsorbent face 89 of the roller 90, vand will be wrung from said face todrain from the cabinet (not shown) for the laundry machine by thewringer roll 96 pressed into engagement with the face of the roller4 90,and diving said roller at the peripheral speed `of the absorbent face 88of the clothes tumbling drum.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim:

l. In a laundry machine, a rotatable clothes tumbling drum, said drumhaving parallel end walls and a perforate cylindrical wall connectingsaid end walls together, a

water absorbent member extending about said perforate wall in closecontact therewith, a travelling absorbent transfer member contactingsaid water absorbent member and travelling at the peripheral speedthereof, a wringer roll for wringing water from said absorbent transfermember and a suction shoe transferring water from said water absorbentmember through said transfer member.

2. In a laundry machine, a rotatable clothes tumbling drum, said drumbeing rotatable about a horizontal axis and having parallel spaced endwalls and a perforate cylindrical wall connecting said end wallstogether, a water absorbent member extending about the periphery of saidperforate wall and having close contact therewith, a transfer rollspaced from said drum and extending thereabout an-d having a perforatewall and a face of absorbent material engaging said water absorbentmember and travelling at the peripheral speed thereof, a wringer rolldriven at the peripheral speed of said transfer roll and having wringingengagement therewith for wringing the water therefrom and a suction shoewithin said transfer roll and having a nozzle extending along the insideof said perforate wall and having slidable contact therewith.

3. In a laundry machine, a rotatable clothes tumbling drum havingparallel end walls and a perforate cylindrical wall connecting `said endwalls together, a water absorbent member extending about said perforatewall in close contact therewith for at least a portion of thecircumference thereof, a traveling absorbent transfer member contactingsaid water absorbent member and traveling at the pe ripheral speedthereof, and a suction shoe within said traveling absorbent transfermember having a nozzle extending along the inside thereof fortransferring water from said water absorbent member through saidtransfer member.

4. In a clothes drying machine, =a cabinet, a rotatable clothes tumblingdrum journaled within said cabinet for rotation about a horizontal axisfor drying clothes therein by tumbling, said tumbling drum havingparallel spaced end walls and a perfo-rate cylindrical wall connectingsaid end walls together, means for circulating heated air into and outof said drum, and means for absorbing a part of the water from theclothes in said drum comprising a water absorbing member encircling theperforate periphery of Said drum and having close contact therewith, aWater transfer roll having a face of absorbent material engaging saidWater absorbent member and traveling at the peripheral speed thereof, awringer roll having wringing engagement with said transfer roll, andsuction means within said transfer roll for removing a part of the watertherefrom prior to wringing thereof.

.outside of said transfer roller to wring additional liquid from saidsecond band.

6. In a laundry machine, a liquid sorptive band having outside andinside surfaces, a support for said band, means for driving said bandlongitudinally of the peripheral length thereof about a horizontal axis,an opening in said support through which clothes are inserted forengagement with said band at the inside surface thereof, and liquidextraction means comprising a suction means below said band engaging theoutside of said band and having )an elongated slot coextensive in widthwith said band at the po-int of engagement to help sorb liquid from theclothes into the band, and transferv means circumferentially spacedfrom4 said suction means in the direction of movement of said bandengaging said band lto remove `engaging the outside of said rst liquidsorptive band, 0

liquid transferred to the band from the clothesand to'conjditionthe bandto receive an additional supply of liquid fromthe -clothes, saidsuctionmeans comprising a forarninous ytransfer roller having a second liquidsorptive band suction means inside of said transfer roller forming anelongated suction oriiice extending across the inside of said foraminoustransfer-roller and adjacent said second liquidsorptive band, and awringer roller engaging against the outside of said transfer roller towring liquid from 10 said-'second band.

Re'feences-"Cited lin the ijle of` thisY patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

